Box Office Predictions: ‘Ghostbusters’ Looks To Freeze The Competition
Box Office analysis is provided by Daniel Garris of BoxOfficeReport.com.
Weekend Box Office Predictions: March 22nd, 2024 - March 24th, 2024
This weekend sees another high-profile addition to the March marketplace with the release of Sony's Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire was directed by Gil Kenan and features an ensemble cast that includes Paul Rudd, Carrie Coon, Finn Wolfhard, Mckenna Grace, Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson and Annie Potts. The follow-up to 2021's Ghostbusters: Afterlife opens in a wide 4,345 locations this weekend and has Thursday preview shows beginning at 2PM. Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire is playing on some IMAX screens this weekend, with Dune: Part Two holding onto some IMAX screens as well this weekend. Critical reviews for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire have been mixed, more so negative than positive, which could limit potential somewhat for the film this weekend. Back in November of 2021, Ghostbusters: Afterlife debuted with $44.01 million and went on to gross $129.36 million domestically. It appears that there isn't quite as much anticipation for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire as there was for Ghostbusters: Afterlife, though as a follow-up, the potential decrease from the performance of Ghostbusters: Afterlife may be more apparent after opening weekend, especially with Warner Bros. and Legendary's Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire entering the marketplace next weekend. As for this weekend, BoxOfficeReport is predicting a first place debut of $41.0 million for Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire.
After being very close to one another in last weekend's rankings, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's Kung Fu Panda 4 and Warner Bros. and Legendary's Dune: Part Two are likely to remain very close to one another in this weekend's rankings. Last weekend saw Kung Fu Panda 4 decline 48.0 percent to place in first with $30.15 million, while Dune: Part Two decreased 38.3 percent to follow closely behind in second with $28.51 million. Dune: Part Two has a good chance of continuing to hold up better than Kung Fu Panda 4 this weekend, but at the same time, Kung Fu Panda 4 may stay just ahead of Dune: Part Two thanks in part to Dune: Part Two losing some of its IMAX screens to Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire this weekend. Kung Fu Panda 4 could decline 42.0 percent this weekend to take in $17.5 million and Dune: Part Two could decrease 40.4 percent to gross a similar $17.0 million for the frame.
It could also prove to be a close race for fourth place this weekend between NEON's Immaculate (in its first weekend) and Lionsgate's Arthur the King (in its second weekend). Immaculate, an R-rated horror film directed by Michael Mohan and starring Sydney Sweeney, opens in an estimated 2,150 locations this weekend and has Thursday preview shows beginning at 7PM. On the average, critical reviews for Immaculate have been good. Sweeney's rapidly rising popularity will no doubt give Immaculate a boost at the box office this weekend, but at the same time as a lower-profile wide release, breakout potential for the film is still likely to be limited. BoxOfficeReport is predicting that Immaculate will start out with $4.4 million this weekend.
Lionsgate's Arthur the King is coming off of a so-so third place start of $7.63 million. While the Mark Wahlberg led film looks to be going over well with audiences (Arthur the King received a strong A rating on CinemaScore), at the same time the film's daily holds thus far have been relatively lackluster and Arthur the King could also take a significant hit from Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire due to audience overlap. A respectable 43.7 percent decrease would give Arthur the King a second weekend take of $4.3 million. Fellow Lionsgate release Imaginary might hold up slightly better this weekend, as the PG-13 horror film will serve as an alternative to the R-rated Immaculate and will also be holding onto a high percentage of its average showtimes per location from last weekend. Imaginary could decline a solid 38.8 percent from last weekend to take in $3.4 million this weekend.
Read more at BoxOfficeReport.com.
